


Double Blessings

by ChelleLeigh1917



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 20:18:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1661192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleLeigh1917/pseuds/ChelleLeigh1917
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She’d always thought they’d been blessed with their boys, but could not help but think they were doubly blessed now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Double Blessings

Richard rushed through the corridors of the palace. He could not help but feel frightened. He was certain if Anne had been able, she would have made certain he was never informed. But she was not able, his wife had fainted. She never fainted.

As he entered the queen’s chambers, Richard found Anne sitting up in bed, surrounded by her ladies. It did not even register in his mind that the midwife was in the room. 

“Leave us.” Anne said softly, and as her ladies quickly left the chamber, she held her hand out to Richard. 

Richard took her hand, as he sat down on the bed. “How are you feeling?” He asked softly. 

Anne smiled softly. “I am well.” She smiled. 

Well? She’d fainted. How could she be well? “What has the physician said?” He then realized he’d not noticed the physician in her outer chambers nor in her bedchamber. He started to frown, what in the world. 

Anne raised up a little, placing her fingers against his lips. “This is not a matter for the physician, Richard.” She said softly. 

“Not a matter for the physician? What are you talking about Anne? You fainted….” He stopped as he felt her touch his lips again. 

She smiled softly. Her poor husband, fifteen years of marriage, and he still could not figure it out. Ah, but then again fifteen years of marriage, and this was only the third time. “I am with child.” She said softly. 

“Anne…” Richard said softly, his voice full of wonder. “Oh sweetheart…” He hugged her gently, burying his face against her shoulder. 

She smiled softly, stroking his hair. “I know.” She said softly. “I know.” 

He placed his hand against her stomach. “So many years with nothing, and now…” 

“Twice in three years.” She murmured. 

“I believe we are quite blessed.” He said softly. 

Anne took his hand as he leaned back against the pillows with her. “So do I, Richard. So do I.” She snuggled against his side, laying her head against his shoulder. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was not long until it was apparent this pregnancy was quite different from Anne’s earlier pregnancies. She was silent as the midwife examined her. 

“What is it?” She asked as the midwife stood. 

She turned back to face the Queen. “Your Grace, I believe you carry twins.” 

“Twins?” Anne said very softly. 

“Yes, Your Grace.” The midwife nodded. 

Anne closed her eyes. She was not a fool. She knew the dangers. She knew this pregnancy could very end her life. “The King must be told.” She said softly. 

“Of course, Your Grace.” She nodded. “I will send for him.” 

“Thank you.” Anne said softly. As the midwife left, she took a deep breath, laying her hand against her already swollen belly. She could not let herself believe she would die. She had to believe she would bring these babies safely into the world, and she would survive it. 

“Anne.” Richard said softly, from the doorway. 

She looked up, realizing she had lost track of time. She held her hands out to him, and managed to keep her smile as he took them. 

“What has the midwife said?” He knew she’d planned to speak with the midwife today. 

She smiled. “It seems I am carrying twins.” 

“Twins….” He echoed. 

“Twins.” She nodded, as he lay his head on her lap. She fingers immediately went to his hair, and she gently stroked it. 

“You will be fine.” He said softly, his voice muffled by her skirt. “You and the babies will be fine. We will pray for it, and God will answer.” 

“Of course we will.” Anne said softly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne laughed softly, as she struggled to stand. She felt so very large, and she was only in the sixth month of the pregnancy. She felt as large as she had when she delivered the boys. There were times she felt every muscle and bone in her body ached. She tried to stay off her feet as much as possible, for they were swelling. 

Many nights, Richard would start by rubbing her feet, as they talked about the day. Then they would get into bed, and he would rub her aching back. 

“You’re very quiet tonight.” Richard remarked softly. 

“Just thinking.” She said softly. 

“About what?” Richard murmured. 

She closed her eyes for a moment. “I am as large as I was when I delivered the boys.” 

“Hmmmm.” He murmured. He’d learned long ago never to remark on her size when she was with child. 

“Somehow I doubt I will get my figure back.” She murmured. 

“And that bothers you?” Richard asked softly, relieved she continued to think of life after the twins were born. 

“I happen to know you are quite appreciate of my figure.” She laughed softly. 

“Do you want to know what I think?” He said softly. 

“What?” Anne murmured. 

“A woman’s body changes over time, that is true.” He murmured, his hands gently stroking her belly. “Each child she carries makes her softer. And do you know what a man thinks?” He said softly. 

“What?” She murmured. 

“A man, especially one who loves his wife, he loves that softness, he loves the way that softness feels against him.” He murmured. 

Anne took a deep breath, before turning to face him. She could not help but smile as Richard helped her to move. After settling close to him, she reached out and touched his face. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” She said softly, before kissing him. 

Richard smiled softly, as he returned her kiss. “You will be here to remind me until we are old and gray.” He murmured. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne was barely into her eighth month when her pains started. Upon learning they had started, Richard went straight to the chapel to pray. He glanced up as a shadow fell over the pew next to him. 

“Ned.” He said softly to their eldest son. The boy was 14 this year, and Richard could not be prouder of his son. 

“It only seemed right to be here, to pray for Mama…” He said softly. 

“Your mother will be fine.” Richard said softly. Since they’d between King and Queen, Ned had started calling them Father and Mother instead of Papa and Mama, but during the last few months, he’d started to call Anne mama again. 

“How do you know?” Ned said softly. 

“Faith.” He said softly. “After all, it is the evidence of things unseen.” 

Ned nodded after a moment, gripping the rosary in his hand. . 

The early morning hours, found Richard prostrate in front of the altar. He’d fasted since the moment he’d learned Anne’s pains had started. He did not move as he heard footsteps coming across the floor of the chapel. 

“Uncle Richard.” Elizabeth said softly. 

He immediately sat up, and stared up at her for a moment. “Your aunt, the Queen…” 

She smiled a bit. “The babies have been born.” 

He took a deep breath. “And Anne?” He asked. 

Elizabeth smiled. “She is weak and tired, but she has made it through the labor.” 

He closed his eyes for a moment, saying a silent prayer of thanks. After a moment, he stood. “And the babies?” He asked, as they started to walk from the chapel

“They are small.” She replied. “But they seem to be strong.” 

He laughed softly. “And you are careful to avoid saying if they are boys or girls. I suppose Anne asked you to keep quiet.” 

Elizabeth laughed. “She did. How did you know?” 

“She did the same with Ned.” He smiled

Richard took a deep breath, as he stood outside Anne’s door. He was certain he could almost still smell the blood. He was not a fool. He knew there was still danger for her. As he stepped inside, he saw Anne sitting up in the center of the bed, the pillows propped around her. He could easily tell how pale she was, but then again she was always pale after childbirth. 

“Come here, my love.” She said softly, as he approached the bed. She held a baby in each arm. 

“You do look rather nice like that.” He smiled. 

“Holding two babies.” She said softly. 

“Yes.” He nodded, as he sat next to her. He gazed down at the babies in her arms. Elizabeth had been correct. They were tiny, even smaller than Ned had been. 

Anne looked up and smiled softly. “These are our daughters.” She said softly. 

“Daughters.” He said softly, smiling softly as he looked at them. “Oh sweetheart…” 

Anne smiled softly. “They’re beautiful aren’t they?”

“They are.” Richard murmured. “What shall we name them? Isabel and Anne?”

She shook her head. “Cecily.” 

He smiled softly. “Cecily and…”

She thought for a moment. “Isabel.” 

He kissed the top of the babies’ heads. “Isabel.” He said to the one in her right arm. “And Cecily. “He said to the one in her left arm. 

“You want to hold them?” Anne asked softly. 

He laughed softly. “One at a time.” 

Anne laughed, as he took gently took Cecily from her. 

He kissed her temple. “Come here.” He said softly. 

Anne snuggled against his side, as his arm went around her. 

“See.” He murmured. “This way, I can hold all of my girls.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was nearly two months later, when Anne fully emerged from her confinement. She’d been churched weeks earlier, but still had not felt well enough to completely rejoin the court. 

She slipped into Richard’s work chambers, watching for a moment. Ned had turned 14 a few weeks earlier, and Richard was including him in more and more of his work. Teaching Ned how to be king. Both she and Richard agreed their second son, Dickon did not have a personality which seemed destined for the church, perhaps he was excel as a soldier for his older, more studious brother. Anne watched, as they were looking at the parchment, both of their dark heads bent over it. 

Richard whispered something to Ned, who looked up and grinned. “Mama.” He rushed over to hug Anne. 

Anne gently hugged him. She laughed softly. Ned was almost her height now, and she imagined he would be taller than his father. After a quiet conversation between mother and son, Ned left the chamber; leaving his parents alone. 

Richard wrapped his arms around Anne. “How are you?” He asked softly. 

Anne smiled softly. “Well.” She said softly. “Although I imagine I will not say no to an afternoon nap.” 

“Perhaps, I will join you.” He said softly. 

Anne looked up at him, and smiled. “Will you?” She smiled. 

“Perhaps.” He murmured. 

They soon went to the nurseries to check in on the babies, and on Dickon who at two and a half shared the nursery with them. Anne watched for a moment, as Richard held the babies. He’d finally mastered holding both of them at the same time. 

Dickon climbed into his mama’s lap, feeling triumphant when his nurse did not tell him no. He snuggled close to her. He’d missed his mama so much. She always smelled very nice, and she always held him close, and called him her baby boy. 

“Mama?” He asked softly. 

“Yes, Dickon?” Anne replied. 

“Why don’t the twins do anything but sleep and eat?” He asked. 

“Oh, they will soon. They’ll be crawling all over the nursery in a few months.” Anne replied. 

“Papa says I should protect them, like a good big brother.” Dickon said. 

“Papa is right.” Anne said softly. “You should.” 

He nodded. “Then I will.” He snuggled close to his mama. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too.” She said softly. As Dickon snuggled against her, Anne glanced over at Richard, who was still holding their daughters. She’d always thought they’d been blessed with their boys, but could not help but think they were doubly blessed now.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write the fluffiest fluff ever tonight, and this is the result. Thanks to Elizabeth for the prompt. :) 
> 
> A couple of explanations, a twin pregnancy would have been a great danger then, hence Richard and Anne both being very aware she could die. 
> 
> Also as I wrote this, it became an AU version of "I Don't Have a Choice, but I'd Still Choose You." So the Dickon mentioned here is the same Dickon as in Choice, at least personality wise.


End file.
